Carnegie Library

WIGAN

SD50SE ORMSKIRK ROAD, Pemberton 24-1/5/133 (North side) Carnegie Library

II

Public library. Dated 1907 on commemoration stone to right of centre; altered. Red brick in English garden wall bond, with buff terracotta dressings and slate roof. On end-of-island site, with a plan in the form of a nave with north and south aisles parallel to the streets on either side, and rectangular wings attached to the rear corners. Edwardian Baroque style. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attic, a symmetrical east front of 1:3:1 bays, the centre pedimented and breaking forwards slightly; with a chamfered plinth, terracotta facing to both floors of the centre including panelled pilasters, an egg-and-dart frieze, parapets to the outer bays, and a pedimented gable to the centre with prominent coping and a wooden cupola just behind, with a finial. The centre has Tuscan columns distyle in antis at ground floor, framing a segmental-headed doorway and large segmental-headed windows, all these with shouldered and keyed architraves; a panel over the doorway with a foliated cartouche and flanking panels with raised lettering "CARNEGIE" "LIBRARY"; Ionic pilasters distyle in antis at 1st floor framing a tall segmental-head 6-light double-transomed window which breaks into the gable, flanked by cross-windows; and an oculus in the gable with an architrave elaborately enriched with festoons. The outer bays (which appear to be stair-turrets) have small 2-light windows at ground floor with open pediments, and oculi at 1st floor with enriched surrounds. The 3-bay north and south "aisles" have pilasters and wide segmental-headed windows; the "nave", with terracotta pilasters and an egg-and-dart cornice, has 3-light mullioned windows. The wings, 2 lower storeys and 3 windows, symmetrical, each have a canted bay window at ground floor flanked by 3-light windows, and a large segmental-headed 6-light window at 1st floor under an open pediment, flanked by transomed 6-light windows. Unoccupied at the time of the inspection. INTERIOR not inspected. Forms a striking feature of the street, facing down towards the town centre.

Listing NGR: SD5597504593